Fluorine Chemicals - North America

Download

View also

Aluminium Industry

Inorganic fluorine compounds play an outstanding role in the aluminum industry. They are frequently encountered not only in the manufacture, but also in the processing and finishing of aluminum.

The manufacture of aluminum on a commercial scale was first made possible with the introduction of cryolite at the end of the 19th century. Cryolite as the essential component of the electrolyte (85 – 90 %) decreases the temperature of the smelting flux electrolysis.

Other important additions to electrolytes in current commercial use are aluminum fluoride, calcium fluoride and lithium fluoride. These fluorides increase the conductivity of the electrolyte and improve the efficiency of the used energy. The aluminum so produced has a purity of between 99.5 and 99.9 %. Refining, that is to say the thorough cleaning and improvement of aluminum, is carried out for example by a process of three-layer fused-salt electrolysis. This method represents the only commercially viable process for the production of pure aluminum. Further electrolyte components from our product range which may be used are barium fluoride or calcium fluoride. Aluminum produced by this method has a purity of between 99.99 and 99.999 %.

Casting Technology

In the aluminum industry, salt covers are used as an aid in casting. The salt covers are a mixture of substances which protect molten aluminum alloys from oxidizing. The molten salt mixture also prevents gases from entering the bath, reduces heat losses from the surface of the molten metal and absorbs impurities which rise to the surface of the melt. Suitable salt covers are fluxes containing cryolite or sodium fluorosilicate. The melting points of these fluxes are reduced by the addition of, for instance, sodium chloride or potassium chloride to such an extent that they liquefy at the prevailing working temperatures.

Surface Treatment

Hydrofluoric acid and ammonium bifluoride are the bath constituents for the surface treatment of pure aluminum. Bright reflective surface on the aluminum is achieved by chemical polishing. Inorganic fluorides are also of critical importance in the flux brazing of aluminum and aluminum alloys, acting to remove the oxide layer.

Abrasives Industry

In recent decades there has been a steady increase in the quality of abrasives. This is especially true for elastically and fixed bonded abrasives, and is due in no small part to the use of abrasively active filler materials such as Solvay-Cryolite. Abrasively active fillers are today encountered in almost all high performance abrasives employed in the grinding of metals. Fixed bonded abrasives are abrasive bodies which are produced in a wide variety of forms. Examples of abrasives held on substrates are abrasive papers (generally without abrasively active filler materials), abrasive belts and abrasive fibers. Aluminum oxide and silicon carbide, produced by fusion processes in electric furnaces, are the main abrasive grains employed.

Glass Industry

As a manufacturer of soda ash, Solvay is an acknowledged partner of the glass industry. It is less well known that a whole range of inorganic fluorine compounds plays an important role both in the manufacture of glass and in its processing.

In the manufacture of opaque glass, also known as milk or cloud glass, the cloudiness is achieved by the addition of inorganic fluorides. These are added to the glass melt as so-called “white opacifier”.

In small amounts, fluorides act as fluxes, and only the addition of larger quantities brings about the clouding effect. This clouding effect is caused mainly by the precipitation of small crystals of calcium and sodium fluoride. A typical fluoro- opaque glass will have a fluoride content of approx. 3.5 – 4.0 %.

Metal Surface Treatment

Hydrofluoric acid is the primary product of the fluorochemical industry, and is the most produced of all inorganic fluoro compounds. It also enjoys a prominent status in the surface treatment of metals .

Automotive Industry

The requirements for innovative braking systems that can be used worldwide are extremely high. With regard to the braking process they include:

Quality

Performance stability

Durability

Lifetime

Comfort properties

Efficiency

Noise emission

Aspects relevant to the environment will become even more important in the future. At the same time it will be necessary to meet the increasingly stringent specifications of the automobile industry and other sectors with regard to standardization and cost minimization.

Synthetic calcium fluoride from Solvay fulfils these requirements and has proved to be outstandingly good in high performance brakes.

Results (1)

Barium fluoride (BaF2) is used in aluminium-metallurgy, enamel and glazing frits production and the production of welding agents.
Barium fluoride is used in the the following applications:
Aluminium-metallurgy:
as additive in aluminium refining process
Enamel and glazing frits production:
as flux and opacifying agent
Production of welding agents:
as components in

Related content
1
/25

Solvay's Alve-One® foaming solutions are based on a portfolio of ADCA-free chemical blowing agents that may be tailored to the needs of the thermoplastics, elastomers and PVC (rigid and flexible) producers.

Amodel® polyphthalamide (PPA) is an aromatic polyamide that outperforms standard polyamides with higher strength and stiffness at elevated temperatures, better retention of properties in humid environments, and greater resistance to a broader range of chemicals.

Solvay sodium bicarbonate Bicar®food is mainly used as a raising agent for baked goods and as a carbon dioxide source for effervescent drinks. It is available in an extensive range of particle sizes for a wide variety of uses.

Bicar®Z is a leading brand of sodium bicarbonate products for livestock breeding. It is a high-value essential feed material to improve the well-being and the performance of ruminants, swine and poultry.

Capterall® is unique and complete solution – product, process and services – to capture a large range of heavy metals from wastewater. It is a highly efficient, cost-effective, pollution peak control and easy-to-deploy solution.

Solvay is a global leader in Soda Solvay® anhydrous sodium carbonate production, using two different processes: the traditional Solvay ammonia process and the refining of natural Trona (or sesquicarbonate).

Rhodiarome® is the market reference for ethylvanillin. First industrialized in the 1970s by Solvay Food Experts, ethylvanillin provides a warm and powerful vanilla note. Three times stronger than vanillin, Rhodiarome® addresses specific needs in Chocolate, Beverages, Biscuits, Cakes, Pastry, etc.

Discover Solvay best in class technology available for fire safety in textiles and garments: flame retardant protection for lifetime of the garment, strict quality procedures and extremely comfortable for wearers in Industrial and Personal environments.

Solvay extensive ranges of technologies enable us to offer series of catalysts to meet different applications, continue developing innovations and provide advanced products as well as services in the increasing but changing market of polyurethane.

Govalto is a vanillin-based solution, produced with in-house Rhovanil® vanillin. The product is an easy flowing powder and presents an optimized cost-in-use in food applications. Kosher, Halal certified and non-GMO.